11 Wrestlers WWE Fired In The WORST Way Possible

When All Elite Wrestling launched in 2019, one of the simpler steps towards success was to simply look at WWE and attempt to do the opposite as often as possible. This extended to how to part ways with talent.

Though far from perfect - and sadly things seem to get worse rather than better - AEW's boss Tony Khan has avoided releasing wrestlers, with rule-proving exceptions here and there strengthening a belief that he is at least a fairer man rather than the some that have occupied roles like his in the past.

In contrast, WWE from Vince McMahon downwards never had a problem embracing the evil side of corporate America. Particularly when it came to their handling of talent departures. They were so often PR disasters just waiting to happen - from shocking releases that blindsided fans, to dismissals where timing and circumstances made the decisions feel unnecessarily cruel, these moments showcased WWE at its most unnecessarily ruthless. Some of these following were victims of backstage politics, others scapegoats for bigger issues, and a plenty were casualties of Vince McMahon’s whims. But none of them deserved the treatment they received, no matter why the market leader elected to go in a different direction.

Wrestling's known for being a pretty brutal business, but that should at least just be limited to when you're in the bubble rather than on it...

11. Emma

The abrupt 2014 firing of Emma was a rapid-fire overreaction to a bizarre scene that took place over a $20 iPad case.

Then a cult hero from NXT (and an damning illustration of how over wrestlers were able to get within the developmental system before failing hard on the main roster), Emma was released just hours after being arrested for an alleged shoplifting incident involving the item at a Connecticut Walmart. The dismissal seemed harsh, especially considering the relatively minor nature of the offence and her status as a rising talent.

Reports soon revealed it was a misunderstanding - Emma had simply failed to properly scan the item at self-checkout, and she was quickly ordered to perform community service. The backlash was swift, with fans and analysts criticising WWE for its heavy-handed response. Mere hours later, the company reversed the call following a "re-evaluation" of the situation. Despite the reinstatement, Emma’s burgeoning momentum in the company was disrupted when it needed it least.

10. Mr. Kennedy

Mr. Kennedy's WWE firing was in one respect a surprise and an in another an inevitability, but it remains an awkward decision made at the culmination of a series of misfortunes that tarnished a career brimming with promise.

It began with the severity of an injury being misdiagnosed at the peak of his powers. When the loudmouth who'd promised a WrestleMania cash-in 12 months in advance was booked to lose his Money In The Bank briefcase in 2007, it was always going to be an uphill struggle. He made that worse in a failed attempt at pro-WWE PR after the Chris Benoit double murder-suicide, and by the time he returned, there'd been a notable shift in fan sentiment away from the upstart.

Some traversing up and down the card resulted in more middling action, before things went from bad to worse. Worst case scenario in fact - Randy Orton’s political pull backstage and Kennedy’s continued heat for his stiff ring style resulted in him being released following one near-the-neck suplex too many in 2009. It was hard not to feel the shadows of prior indiscretions clouding the decision.

9. Finlay

After staying on with WWE as part of the WCW buyout in 2001, longstanding veteran Finlay had been a midcard workhorse, a backstage mentor, and a creative mind who helped shape and influence WWE’s women’s division while training some of the best talents to come from an unfancied era. Yet, in a move that reeked of PR panic, he was fired for a booking decision during a house show that would have previously been considered one of the tamer ways to generate cheap heat.

Ahead of The Miz main eventing WrestleMania XXVII, the former United States Champion made the call to have the A-Lister cut the National Anthem short at a house show to earn the hatred of the crowd. It worked too well. Representatives of US Army National Guard - a major sponsor of the WWE - were in attendance and reported to be furious. Finlay was scapegoated and paid the ultimate price.

It's important to note that he was rehired a year after the fact, highlighting how appeasement took priority over punishment.

8. CM Punk

Few moments in wrestling lore encapsulate the true pettiness of the wrestling business quite like CM Punk's official firing from WWE on his wedding day in 2014.

The specificity of the timing still feels like a scorched-earth statement from promoter to performer, delivered with the sort of precision you’d expect from a cartoon villain rather than a billionaire one. Punk was already bruised and battered from what he perceived to be years of creative and physical mistreatment and this was the final vindictive straw. It certainly empowered him to say his piece on an infamous Art Of Wrestling podcast either way, prompting Vince McMahon himself to claim it was mere coincidence.

It made a further personal/professional overlap untenable too - AJ Lee, his wife and then-WWE Superstar was put in an awful position by the particularly spiteful move. She was off television injured when the couple married in mid-2014, but her 2015 return (and WWE career) was wrapped for good by the Raw after WrestleMania 31.

7. Mickie James

Mickie James’ shocking 2021 WWE release was accompanied by an infamous secondary story, as revealed on her social media following the news.

The reveal that her belongings had been dropped at her door in a trash bag was jaw-dropping enough, let alone when factoring in the respect and legacy James had built up over multiple eras in the women's division. She helped define women’s wrestling when WWE treated it as little more than an afterthought, but this unceremonious parting of the ways temporarily reduced a Hall of Fame-worthy career to literal garbage.

The backlash was swift. WWE issued an apology and responsible parties were reprimanded, but the damage was done. The incident once again laid bare the emotionless realities that wrestlers are often subjected to. For someone of James’ stature (as part of WWE and the wider landscape of women's wrestling), the bag symbolised something more than carelessness. They weren't just making unforced errors, but they were doing so expecting absolutely zero blowback or facing of any consequences.

6. The Good Brothers

There aren't many wrestlers that embody an old school attitude to pro wrestling quite like Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, but they were "brothered" in the very worst way ahead of a 2020 release.

It was during a 2019 chat between the pair and Triple H that they were convinced into re-signing with the market leader because of how much they were considered part of the "WWE family". It also just happened to be right as AEW was launching and keen to secure their services.

Hunter's heartfelt pitch - and with it the promise of stability in a business infamous for its lack of it - worked. Yet, less than a year later, and during the a pandemic-driven cost-cutting spree, the duo were unceremoniously released. The bleak irony wasn’t lost on fans, or Gallows and Anderson themselves. They publicly lamented the empty nature of WWE’s rhetoric, and the sacrificing of possible runs elsewhere only to be cast aside by the company at the first realistic opportunity.

5. Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy’s 2005 firing remains one of WWE’s stranger decisions, blending the personal chaos of broken relationships with deeply professional mishandling.

Matt Hardy was blindsided by the real-life affair between his longtime girlfriend Lita and his best friend Edge, and though his immediate responses were regrettable, they were - in the moment - understandable and extremely public.

The emotional fallout was clearly devastating enough for all three, but WWE took it one step further by firing Hardy, ostensibly punishing him for the situation becoming known and instigating an enormous backlash. "We want Matt!" chants overtook arenas, and WWE, especially during Lita and Edge's appearances, to the point where they had to be paired on screen to try and make some sense of it all.

Sensing they’d misjudged the situation, WWE reversed course months later by rehiring Hardy for an at-times electric feud between the former friends.

4. Mike & Maria Kanellis

Mike and Maria Kanellis’ WWE 2020 firing (more on that elsewhere) wasn’t just brutal. It was completely disrespectful. Two of many pandemic-era cuts, the duo’s dismissal stood out for its absurd handling. Maria revealed they were both on the same call, and after Mike was being told he was no longer needed, he was asked to pass the phone to Maria to deliver the same bad news.

Maria was mere months postpartum at the time, and Mike had worked tirelessly to rebuild his life after battling addiction. Both deserved better. They’d been vocal about wanting more opportunities to prove their worth too, but WWE chose to cut bait instead of exploring their potential.

The method of their firing symbolised the cold and impersonal conveyor-belt approach to talent, reducing two human beings to just another business transaction, while still attempting to save time and resources. Unforgivably cold, even by WWE standards.

3. Jackie Gayda & Charlie Haas

The firing of Jackie Gayda and Charlie Haas in 2005 was a particularly cruel choice, even by WWE’s ruthless standards. Just weeks after celebrating their marriage and honeymoon, the couple were simultaneously handed walking papers.

Having won Tough Enough but struggled to find her place on the roster until she became a manager, Gayda had worked hard to hone her craft, while Haas had remained a loyal utility player capable of excelling in singles or tag team roles despite indifferent creative. Unfortunately, WWE’s cost-cutting axe fell indiscriminately, severing the duo's careers and leaving fans questioning the company’s sense of timing and compassion. That record was never good, but firing newlyweds seemed unnecessarily low.

Both landed on their feet in other promotions, but the incident left yet another a sour taste and was emblematic of WWE’s infamous disregard for the personal lives of its talent.

2. Dawn Marie

Dawn Marie’s 2005 WWE firing remains one of the company’s most callous from the era.

Released while pregnant (and thus also subsequently set to go on maternity leave), the SmackDown star’s dismissal was yet reminder of how ruthless WWE could be when it came to trimming their roster. The timing couldn’t have been worse; instead of supporting a performer facing a life-changing event, the company opted to sever ties, seemingly without concern for the personal and professional implications.

A charismatic presence in the ring and a seasoned performer, Dawn Marie had carved out a respectable run in spite of some generationally terrible creative. Yet, her pregnancy appeared to mark the end of her WWE chapter. The decision yet again highlighted WWE’s perceived prioritisation of business needs over basic human decency, casting a particularly bleak spotlight on their treatment of female talent.

1. The Pandemic Releases

The mass WWE firings of 2020 will forever be remembered as one of the company’s bleakest moments.

In a year defined by global hardship, WWE released or furloughed over 100 independent contractors and employees (ranging from wrestlers to producers and countless behind-the-scenes staff) citing budgetary reasons at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, as later revealed, the company went on to post record profits for the year. The juxtaposition was staggering but predictable, and left fans and wrestlers seething.

Countless people were cast aside during a time when other opportunities were scarce. Meanwhile, WWE trumpeted their financial success on quarterly calls in a chilling reminder of how disposable even the most dedicated workers can become.

The firings weren’t just a cost-cutting measure, they were a stark reminder of the corporate machine’s cruelty, leaving behind a trail of broken livelihoods to protect shareholder interests. Labelled "Black Wednesday" for the wreckage it left behind, the sheer number was so staggering that it marked the company's cards for the remaining duration of its then-leader's ownership.